Assignments for Essays

“The Starting Line” and "Newton's Third Law"
Allison Hamilos wrote "The Starting Line" and Keshav Puranmalka wrote "Newton's Third Law" in "Writing and Experience: Writing in an Age of Spin" (21W.731.03) for an assignment that asked students to select an intriguing question arising out of their own experience and to pursue that question, using their own train of thought as the core "plot" of the essay. The challenge was to keep the essay grounded in the particulars of personal experience while making use of knowledge gained through outside sources. The goal was to reach and articulate some fresh insight--though not necessarily a definitive answer to the initial question(s) raised.

"Third Eye," "Umaer" and " Zero Beach"
Amina Basha wrote "Umaer," Jessica Lin wrote "Third Eye," and Kelechi Nwosu wrote "Zero Beach" in "Writing and Experience: Writing in an Age of Spin" (21W.731.03) for an assignment that asked students to write a familiar essay that introduced the world in which they grew up, practicing the techniques of narrative to convey significant personal experiences authentically, developing characters and scenes in which these appear and interact.

"How to Be Indifferent"
Veronica Song wrote " How to Be Indifferent" in "Writing and Experience: Writing in an Age of Spin" (21W.731.03) for an assignment that asked students to take the conventional prompt of the "How To." essay, but this time make it so straight-forward, particular, and honest that it becomes surprising - i.e., revealing in ways the reader might not expect. The model was Junot Díaz's "How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie."

"Popcorn"
Wenjia Zhu wrote her short story "Popcorn" in "Writing and Experience: Exploring Self in Society" (21W.731.01) in response to a final course assignment that asked students to write either a piece of creative nonfiction or short fiction, building upon their skills in using character, setting and dialogue. Students were also asked to think about the ways in which the authors read in class influenced their choices in crafting a narrative.

"Back Straight, Head Up!"
Leonie Badger wrote this reflective essay in response to an assignment in "Writing on Contemporary Issues: Body Language: Writing About Ideas and Images of the Body" (21W.730) in which she was asked to draw insights from remembered images of the human body, drawn from experiences and observations.

"We Don't Have Time for Tea "
The students in this section of 21W.730,"Writing on Contemporary
Issues: Culture Shock: Writing, Editing and Publishing in Cyberspace," were asked to write on subjects of their choice, focusing on American popular culture, broadly defined. Jennifer de Bruijn came to MIT from Zimbabwe, and she wrote lively and witty essays, of which "We Don't Have Time for Tea" is one, about the culture shock she experienced in coming to the U.S. to study. The project of the section was to produce an online magazine, Culture Shock! , and this essay by Jennifer was originally published in that magazine. If you are curious about the writing of other students in the section, here's the site:http://web.mit.edu/renakatz/www/cultureshock/cultureshock.html

"A Biosafety Level 4 Facility in Boston: A Threat of Epidemic or a Defense Against Bioterrorism?"
Janice O'Brien wrote this informative essay in "Writing on Contemporary Issues: Social and Ethical Issues" (21W.730). This comparative analysis assignment asked students to choose a contemporary issue that evoked a sense of conflict or debate, and to research and then present different perspectives on the topic. The students' role as writers was to educate the public and to translate complex ideas for a broad readership, rather than advocate for a particular position. They were encouraged to move their audience beyond a "sound-byte" understanding of social problems so that readers could make more fully informed decisions about issues.

“Nuclear Waste Reduction through Advanced Reactor and Fuel Cycles ”
Kevin Fischer wrote this piece in "Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication: Writing and the Environment" (21W.732.03) in response to an assignment that asked students to write an article reviewing current journal literature on a narrow topic with significant implications for the environment. The completed review article summarizes recent findings for the benefit of professional colleagues who are not experts on this particular field.

21W.732.03: Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication: Writing and the Environment

"Combating Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus"
Oran Payne wrote this piece for an assignment in which students in "Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health" (21W.732.03) were asked to write an article reviewing current journal literature on a narrow public health topic. The completed review article summarizes recent findings for the benefit of professional colleagues who are not experts on this particular field.

21W.732.03: Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication: Perspectives on Medicine and Public Health

"Coughing to Death: If The Cure Exists, Why Are People Still Dying?" and "Tuberculosis: Curable, Yet Still A Major Public Health Issue"
Mahesh Vidula wrote these two essays on tuberculosis, the first for a general audience and the second for a specialized audience, in "Introduction to Scientific and Technical Communication" (21W.732.01). This assignment asked students to write two essays on a topic of their choice in science or technology. One piece would address the general public, while the other would speak to a specialized audience. The goal of this assignment was to focus student attention on the rhetorical purpose of an essay and the audience(s) it addresses.